Author's note: I know, I know — starting another multi-chap when I haven't finished my others is totally irresponsible. But my muse is a vicious harpy and wouldn't let this idea go until I finally started writing it. This is new territory for me — I've never written a pregnancy fic before, so you'll have to be patient as I likely over research way too many insignificant details. I hope you enjoy! :)

While the candied clementine and dark chocolate ganache sounded like it could soothe the painful ache in Caroline's soul, the lemon-honey tart appealed to the terrified part of her that could really use a hug. Fuck it — I will never live through another day as gut-wrenchingly terrible as today. This calls for white chocolate cake layered with raspberry mousse and mascarpone buttercream.

She shivered a bit, and realized she'd been staring off into space inside the walk-in cooler for far longer than she meant to. Still, the perfectionist side of her couldn't help but admire the effective way she'd reorganized the desserts and ingredients to ensure the cafe was running efficiently. She'd been working at the Cookie Bar since she started college a couple of years ago, and had slowly worked her way into a shift manager position, which let her get more involved with menu creation and overall restaurant management.

The unique cafe specialized in gourmet infused and non-alcoholic desserts and cocktails, appealing to an eclectic crowd that always favored them with excellent social media reviews. A few weeks ago, she'd really impressed her boss, Matt, when she came up with a Cinco de Mayo promotional menu featuring jalapeno-infused vodka martinis, spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies, and cinnamon queso fresco cheesecake. Emboldened by the cafe's success, she'd already been researching fruits that would be in season soon, hoping to work out a deal with some vendors at a local farmer's market.

She added a generous helping of whipped cream to her slice of cake and headed toward the front where a local acoustic guitarist would be starting another set soon. She slid into a corner booth near the back, looking forward to eating her problems while listening to some campy classic rock. She mentally congratulated herself on not doing her dance of a thousand freak-outs like she longed to do, but it probably wasn't a good idea to have a mental breakdown in the middle of her job. Especially now that she needed job security more than ever.

However, before she could take a bite of what was sure to be a smooth, buttery white chocolate masterpiece, an angry woman's voice suddenly rang out. "I don't care about your reasons, Nik! All you care about is your insufferable hybrid army. You put a stake in my heart and I will never forgive you, brother!"

Caroline raised an eyebrow as she appraised the angry blonde in the booth to her right. Fierce green eyes and the features of a supermodel, she had a presence to her that made Caroline take notice. This woman was a warrior. That said, clearly she came from a very dramatic family — stake in the heart? Seriously?! And what was the deal with the 'hybrid army'? It was either a screen name or a band name — either way, it sounded really stupid.

The woman ended her call, slamming her phone down on the table. She muttered a string of curses, and Caroline was intrigued when she realized only a few of the phrases were in English. She watched as her striking features suddenly morphed from furious to crestfallen, and then the tears started. It was when the crying reached the hiccupping stage that Caroline couldn't take it anymore and felt the urge to intervene.

"You look like you need this more than me," Caroline told her, sitting down across from her as she slid over the plate of cake. A look of suspicion crossed the woman's face, and Caroline quickly added, "Sorry — one of my pet peeves is other people minding my business, but you sounded like your day has really sucked. I'm Caroline, by the way."

The woman studied her closely, searching her face for something. Caroline wasn't sure what it could've been, but she must have found it because she gave a short nod and extended her hand to shake. "Rebekah."

"And that's white chocolate cake with raspberry mousse layers and mascarpone buttercream. My boss makes it and it might be my favorite thing on the menu."

Rebekah took a bite, seeming to savor the flavors as she exclaimed in surprise, "I've sampled some of the finest delicacies in this world and I don't recall tasting raspberries that were the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Utterly marvelous."

Caroline smiled, noticing the way the tension seemed to leave the woman's shoulders as she quickly devoured several more bites with a pleased hum. "I'm glad you like it. Matt knows it's one of my favorites when I'm having a bad day, so he uses a Madagascar vanilla bean in the frosting rather than vanilla extract because I think it tastes fancier."

"He sounds thoughtful. It must be nice to have someone who does things like that for you."

She picked up on Rebekah's morose tone, and asked hesitantly, "Do you want to talk about it? I mean, it's ok if you don't, but I'm happy to listen if you...need someone."

Rebekah seemed stunned by her speech, and opened her mouth several times, allowing the silence to stretch between them in a way that wasn't nearly as awkward as Caroline would've expected. She faltered a bit, as though carefully weighing her words. "I come from a complicated family. We've been together for ages but we haven't always been close. My brother, Nik, is a bloody tyrant at times and just expects everyone to follow his lead. If you disagree with him, he's an absolute menace, and before you know it, you've lost years of your life because you dared to ask for the freedom to make your own choices."

While the 'been together for ages' and 'lost years of your life' were weird things to say considering Rebekah couldn't be older than her mid-20s, Caroline could empathize with feeling crushed by your family. Her relationships with her mother and father were very complicated. And miserable enough that she preferred not to think about it most of the time. Except now she had no choice to think about her parents and the lack of example they set for her. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to not get along with your family. Sometimes I think family is just there to make everything worse."

The women shared a look of commiseration, the first plaintive notes of "Tequila Sunrise" started, and it was one of those moments when the guitar seemed designed just to make you weep. Clearing her throat, Caroline asked, "So, I can tell by your accent you're not a local. How did you end up in this tiny college town?"

"After I was awakened, the first thing I saw was Nik's face, and I immediately flew into a rage. After our fight, I got in my car and started driving. I didn't have a destination in mind; I just knew I needed to get out of Mystic Falls."

She did her best not to react when Rebekah said she was from Mystic Falls, but it still hurt to hear. Because that's where he was from. Putting on an overly bright smile, she said, "Wow, your brother picked a fight right after you woke up? What an asshat. At least let you get your coffee first."

The woman snorted, then looked around as though fearful someone had heard her. "Yes, well, he's always been a bit of a brute. We were in Copenhagen during the war and he purposely goaded Frederick II with some scandalous lies about Sweden. Then, he just set back and watched the massacre."

"Ugh! So, your brother is one of those sleazy Wall Street corporate guys like Richard Gere in Pretty Woman? Ick."

Letting out a startled laugh at Caroline's assessment, Rebekah took another bite of cake, pointing her fork enthusiastically at the perfectly scalloped frosting to tell her, "Actually, it wasn't until I saw the sign at the Whitmore exit that advertised this ingenious cafe that I realized I was in need of a bit of comfort dessert and a cocktail."

Caroline knew the feeling. She'd been briefly distracted by Rebekah's problems that she'd forgotten her own. What the hell was she going to do? Biting her lip, she stared at her chipped nail polish in silence.

"What about you," Rebekah asked hesitantly, "do you need someone to talk to?"

Even though the woman was a stranger, Caroline had the feeling it was unusual for her to ask about someone else's problems, so she was touched by the gesture. She thought back to everything that had happened earlier that day, and realized if she wasn't already sitting down, she'd probably collapse. She found out she was pregnant. And then her boyfriend dumped her.

Giving a half-hearted shrug, she said shakily, "Yeah, I guess I need someone to talk to."